Marlins Interested In Torrealba, Barrett, Maroth
Joe Capozzi checks in with a look at the Marlins’ approach toward free agency this winter.
It sounds like the Fish are willing to spend a few bucks to upgrade on Miguel Olivo in the catcher spot. Do they go for the defensive-minded Yorvit Torrealba, or the typically offensive-minded Michael Barrett? So far the Marlins are leaning toward Torrealba, but would have to beat the Rockies’ two-year, $6MM offer. And the Mets’ level of interest probably just increased with Jorge Posada staying with the Yankees.
Barrett has a Jeffrey Loria connection, but might seek a two-year deal for $8MM or so. The Padres might roll the dice and offer him arbitration. If they do he declines then the price for another team to sign him increases signficantly – a first or second round draft pick. The Marlins #6 overall pick is protected, as is the Devil Rays’ #1 overall pick. In contrast, teams like the Brewers, Blue Jays, Mets, and Rockies risk losing first round picks if they sign Type A free agents who declined arbitration. Another way to lose those picks would be to sign Type A guys before December 2nd.
Capozzi says the Fish could also look at Paul Lo Duca, Damian Miller, or Rod Barajas if the first two choices fall through.
The Marlins will surf the bargain bin for one veteran starter, and they’re currently targeting Mike Maroth. I like it. He’s an Orlando native who could bounce back and win ten games in ’08. Capozzi also says the Marlins are in touch with Aaron Boone‘s agent, but will have competition from the Nationals.
Odds and Ends: Hot Stove Hysteria
Anyone else ready for the Winter Meetings? It’s going to be a crazy four days. I’ll be blogging all of it nonstop. Here are some links to consider in the meantime.
- Play MLBTR’s Hot Stove Hysteria contest! Right now the prizes in my holding include a Carlos Zambrano biography and a Big Dawg Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. If your company would like to join in on the sponsorship of the contest, email me. The deadline to enter in the contest is midnight CST tonight. If you’ve already entered but want to change yours, just make another comment with the updated list. (Please don’t email me your entry – put it in the comments of the Hot Stove Hysteria post linked above).
- U.S.S Mariner gives its take on some of the early hot stove moves.
- Yorvit Torrealba plans to test the market, with the Marlins, Mets, Brewers, and Devil Rays as possible suitors. Torrealba will give the Rockies the chance to match any offer though.
- Phil Rogers thinks Johnny Estrada might be non-tendered.
Odds and Ends: Garcia, Greene, DeJesus
With so many rumors, there’s a need for a daily Odds and Ends post to catch ’em all.
- Buster Olney talked to Freddy Garcia‘s agent. He’s looking at a June return from shoulder surgery.
- Indians GM Mark Shapiro made an offer on Brad Lidge. The Astros didn’t even reply. They did hear back from the Marlins on their Miguel Cabrera inquiry. The price is seemingly too high for talks to continue. Peter Gammons says that before the Astros got Michael Bourn, the White Sox pushed for a Chad Qualls for Ryan Sweeney swap.
- Evan Grant notes that the Rangers have discussed trading shortstop Joaquin Arias to the Royals for Joey Gathright. They’ve also talked to the Brewers about Tony Gwynn Jr. GM Jon Daniels needs to have options if he can’t afford Torii Hunter or the other free agents. Grant adds that the Rangers have already been in touch with Kerry Wood.
- Jose Guillen declined his $5MM option with the Mariners – that’s no surprise. So far the Royals have expressed interest.
- Khalil Greene is under the Padres’ control through 2009, but his salary is going to jump significantly in arbitration for the ’08 and ’09 seasons. The Padres want to sign him to a multiyear deal, perhaps buying out one year of free agency. GM Kevin Towers is also posturing that he might use Scott Hairston as the regular center fielder next year, which seems a stretch. Also, Geoff Jenkins is on Towers’ radar.
- Ed Wade and the Astros have asked the Marlins about Dontrelle Willis. However the ‘Stros probably do not have the goods.’
- One way or another, the Marlins will ditch Miguel Olivo. They hope to bring Yorvit Torrealba aboard, which would take an offer better than two years, $6MM. The Mets, Brewers, and Blue Jays also like Torrealba. The Marlins are serious about upgrading behind the plate and will spend some money to do so.
- Jorge Posada seems set on testing the market, which never bodes well for the incumbent team.
- David DeJesus is a hot commodity as an affordable center fielder, but Dayton Moore expects to hang onto him. Maybe he’ll change his mind once some big names are off the board.
Rockies Rumors: Atkins, Barrett, Fukumori
What are the Rockies up to as they plot to defend their NL pennant? Tracy Ringolsby and Troy E. Renck have the latest.
- Ringolsby says Garrett Atkins is staying put, which should help the third baseman relax a little bit. This echoes Renck’s sentiments yesterday. Renck also noted that the Rox won’t be offering Atkins a multiyear deal anytime soon.
- Yesterday Renck said that after Yorvit Torrealba, the Rockies were considering Jose Molina, Paul Lo Duca, Jason Kendall, and Ramon Castro for catcher. However Ringolsby says today that Michael Barrett and Kendall are the main targets. Renck has come on board with that today, noting that Dan O’Dowd has contacted the agents for Barrett, Kendall, and Lo Duca.
- Ringolsby adds that the Rockies are exploring the Japanese reliever market, namely Hitoki Iwase and Kazuo Fukumori. Fukumori might appeal as the cheaper of the two.
- Meanwhile the Indians, Brewers, Phillies, and Mets like Brian Fuentes. We’ve also read about the Tigers’ interest. The Rockies’ willingness to trade him may depend on the progress of 2007 top draft pick Casey Weathers.
- Jason Jennings might be leaning toward signing with the Padres. This echoes an obscure article we found back in July.
- Renck says that if the Rockies don’t hear by Tuesday about their offers to Kaz Matsui, Matt Herges, LaTroy Hawkins, and Torrealba, they’ll start looking at other options.
- Renck adds that the Rockies have checked in with Ron Mahay‘s people. He’s getting popular.
- The Rockies are out on Jon Garland – they can’t fit his $12MM salary into the 2008 budget. Matsui moving on would clear $3MM though.
- The idea of locking up Troy Tulowitzki long-term is being entertained. It probably wouldn’t happen until after the 2008 season though.
Latest Rockies Rumors: Matsui, Torrealba, Holliday
As usual, the Denver Post’s Troy E. Renck has the scoop on all things Rockies.
- The Rockies have made a two year offer to Kaz Matsui in the neighborhood of $6MM total. That’s fair; we all know his home/road splits. The Cubs and Padres were named as other interested parties yesterday, but the Padres have decided to go with internal options at second base. Why the Cubs would add a second baseman is still beyond me. They already have Ryan Theriot, Mark DeRosa, Mike Fontenot, and Eric Patterson. The Cubs’ plan to add speed concerns me.
- The Rox have also put in a two-year offer to Yorvit Torrealba, for roughly the same $6MM amount. It sounds like Torrealba will wait to field offers from other teams, chiefly the Mets. His agent says the Mets’ offer would have to dwarf the Rockies’ for him to consider it. Renck names Jose Molina, Paul Lo Duca, Jason Kendall, and Ramon Castro as backup options at catcher. I like the idea of Molina.
- Scott Boras client Matt Holliday is under Colorado’s control for the 2008 and 2009 seasons, though he’ll start getting quite expensive in arbitration. The Rockies will make an offer to lock him up for 2008-11 for roughly $60MM. It’s fair, but with Boras talking in Holliday’s ear he’ll probably wait for free agency in the winter of 2009-10. They’ll pay lip service to the idea that he wants to stay in Colorado but ultimately he’ll take a seven year, $150MM offer from some other club. That’s how I see it unfolding, at least.
- Brian Fuentes is indeed on the market; expect many teams in the mix for him. While Garrett Atkins won’t be offered a multiyear contract, the Rockies won’t trade him this winter.
- Finally, the Rockies have an eye on Brett Tomko to fill a swingman role.
Latest Mets Rumors: A-Rod, Silva, Blanton
Plenty of action around the Mets lately; Omar Minaya has his work cut out for him. Hat tip to MetsBlog for several of the links.
- The sensational storyline here is that Minaya will meet with Scott Boras to discuss Alex Rodriguez. However, Boras and Minaya might spend more time discussing Kyle Lohse and Eric Gagne than A-Rod – the Mets’ focus is pitching.
- Newsday’s Ken Davidoff reminds us of past trade talks regarding Joe Blanton, Jose Contreras, and Jon Garland. Those talks may be re-opened, though Davidoff notes that the White Sox aren’t enamored of Lastings Milledge. Additionally, the Mets will meet with Carlos Silva‘s people this week.
- Buster Olney discusses the Mets’ pursuit for pitching today in his blog. They need a horse, somebody who can chew up innings. Aside from the aforementioned Silva and Blanton, Olney names Roy Oswalt, Dan Haren, Scott Kazmir, and Dontrelle Willis as possible targets (though Marc Lancaster considers the declaration of Kazmir’s availability to be "dubious at best." Meanwhile one exec thinks the Rays would only make him available if "his arm is about to blow.") Olney’s guess is that the Mets will acquire Blanton. The Mets have some combination of Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber, Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, and Aaron Heilman to offer. There are pros and cons to dealing each.
- There are other concerns besides pitching: second base and catcher. Besides the forthcoming monster offer to Jorge Posada, the Mets are considering Paul Lo Duca and Yorvit Torrealba as fallbacks. Ramon Castro is looking for a two-year deal, and hopes it’s with the Mets. However, the Rockies have their eye on him.
- Pedro Martinez expects to pitch beyond 2008. Whether that will be for the Mets or someone else, who knows.
- Marlon Anderson‘s two-year deal will be announced today, according to Adam Rubin. The Mets will pass on Jose Valentin and Brian Lawrence‘s options.
Rockies Expect A Quiet Offseason
Nate Silver of Baseball Prospectus recently wrote in reference to the Rockies:
Teams that overachieve expectations tend to keep everything in place, and in fact that’s exactly what Charlie Monfort is saying. This is likely to be one of the bigger misplays of the offseason.
Indeed, no one is expecting any kind of shake-up or blockbuster. That said, Tracy Ringolsby indicates that teams will inquire on Brian Fuentes and Garrett Atkins over the next few months. The free agent market for closers and third basemen isn’t robust.
Ringoslby notes that Josh Fogg may seek the Jason Marquis special – three years, $21MM. The Rockies will pass, instead entertaining bringing Jason Jennings back.
The Rockies are also expected to sign a veteran catcher to help Chris Iannetta along. Ringolsby names Yorvit Torrealba, Jason Kendall, and Paul Lo Duca as the options. Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post names the same trio.
Renck adds that the Rockies will attempt to re-sign Kaz Matsui and Matt Herges soon as well. Renck mentions that the team has also gotten in touch with Shawn Chacon‘s agent. Chacon came up through the Rockies system but was traded to the Yankees in July of 2005.
What do you think about this plan? Should the Rockies make a major free agent strike or trade instead?
Odds and Ends: Fukudome, Boras, Encarnacion
Let’s kick the day off with an Odds and Ends post. Daylight savings time means one more hour of rumorage.
- Bruce Miles loves the idea of Kosuke Fukudome manning right field for the Cubs. He notes that Fukudome would please both the stathead and old-school factions of the team’s management.
- Peter Abraham says Yankees fans should not blame Scott Boras for Alex Rodriguez‘s departure and demands. The player still calls the shots. By the way, Tyler Kepner feels bad about the way things ended with the Yankees and could try to make good by giving a $30MM discount. Kepner’s article also indicates that Andy Pettitte‘s Wednesday deadline for his player option could easily be extended.
- Haven’t heard this one much for the Yanks’ third base vacancy: Edwin Encarnacion. Kat O’Brien suggests it. How about for Ian Kennedy?
- Yorvit Torrealba‘s agent has talked to the Blue Jays and Marlins. The Jays don’t seem to make sense.
- I had a random idea – could Michael Barrett be signed on the cheap and then moved back to third base by the Yankees, Twins, or Phillies?
Mets, Marlins Interested In Torrealba
According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Mets and Marlins have interest in free agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba. The Rockies would like to bring him back, but otherwise they’ll look at Paul Lo Duca or Michael Barrett.
The 29 year-old Torrealba hit .255/.323/.376 in 396 ABs this year. Typically he hits for a touch more power. Meanwhile the average NL catcher hit .257/.318/.394 in 2007, so Torrealba’s bat is tolerable.
Torrealba was lousy at throwing out baserunners this year, checking in at just 19.7% caught stealing. Only Jason Kendall and Johnny Estrada were worse among qualifiers. Oddly Torrealba threw out 40.4% of baserunners in 2006 and 35.7% the year before. The reason for the decline is most likely a strained shoulder that lingered into the season.
Torrealba earned $1.075MM in ’07, and he might be looking for $3MM or more in ’08. Regarding the Marlins, they’re also interested in Barrett, Kendall, and Ramon Castro if they don’t keep Miguel Olivo.
State Of The Marlins
The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson has all sorts of info concerning the state of the Florida Marlins.
- We’ve heard this before – the Fish can’t afford to keep both Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. Do you trade the cheaper guy, or the more valuable one? As Jackson says, it really just depends on the offers. It wouldn’t be a complete shock to see both traded if the Marlins received separate knockout offers on each.
- The Marlins are likely to non-tender Miguel Olivo, with an eye on bringing Paul Lo Duca back to Florida to provide veteran leadership for the young pitching staff. Other free agents on the radar: Yorvit Torrealba, Michael Barrett, Jason Kendall, and former Marlin Ramon Castro. Several of these are $5MM players, so the team’s owner would have to sign off.
- Some kind of MLB-ready starting pitching is likely to come back in a Willis or Cabrera deal. But otherwise the Fish will try an injury-discounted guy like Kris Benson. The market has no shortage of these types – Matt Clement, Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, Jason Jennings, Jon Lieber, and Jaret Wright all fit the mold.
- The Marlins will listen on Scott Olsen, but aren’t opposed to keeping him.
- For now, Hanley Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera are staying put on the left side of the infield. Good luck improving the defense.
- The Marlins would like to bring Aaron Boone back for ’08.